What happens when you mix the Disney World magic with the world of the Animal Kingdom? You experience Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park! Over 1000 animals in a park of over 500 acres Disney’s Animal Kingdom takes the concept of an animal park to a new dimension. An original theme park and certainly more than a zoo – this theme park is a celebration of animals with more than a hint of the Disney magic.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a huge park – almost five times the size of Magic Kingdom. A visit can take some planning.

The Tree of Life is to Animal Kingdom what Cinderella’s Castle is to the Magic Kingdom. As you approach from a distance you slowly catch glimpses of the magnificent tree. As you get closer and closer you can see why this is considered one of the greatest Disney theme park creations. The Tree of Life is 145 tall with 325 individual carvings of animals in it’s trunk – all incredibly detailed. The Disney story and mythology behind the creation of the tree is that it was the first thing here in Animal Kingdom and it brought the source of water and life for the whole of the Animal Kingdom park.

Walt Disney himself always insisted that his animators learn as much as they possibly could about their animal subjects when creating characters for the Disney movies. He strongly believed that this was necessary to bring the animated Disney characters to life. The Disney attention to detail is certainly dominant in Animal Kingdom. Whilst many Disney themes are about make believe this one is rooted in reality. The Imagineers had to work with a new challenge. Real animals!

The Animal Kingdom is home to one of the most popular shows in all the Disney theme parks. The Festival of the Lion King show. The show tells the story of a traveling troupe led by the well loved characters from the Lion King. Spectacular acrobatics and show stopping musical entertainment have made this a must see.

And don’t miss the newest Disney mountain. Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain. The structure for the ride is huge, and one of the most complex that Disney has ever undertaken. The result is worth it. You must ride Expedition Everest. Just get to the ride as soon as the park opens, or head on over to the Fast Pass kiosks to make sure that you don’t spend too much time in line. It is a very popular attraction!

My personal favorite is the Kilimanjaro Safari. Just to get a sense of the size of the land for this attraction it is 110 acres of space. Or to put it another way, the same size as the whole of Magic Kingdom! This is your chance to go on a safari without every having to leave the comfort and safety of your Disney safari vehicle. The attention to detail here is amazing. The Imagineers went on photo safaris is Africa to help them with the design process. The result is spectacular. You will see hundreds of animals in a very natural setting. Try and get to the Kilimajaro Safaris early in the morning. Not only is there less likely to be a long wait, but the animals are very much more likely to be active.

You can always see your favorite Disney characters at Animal Kingdom. If you would like to learn even more about the Animal Kingdom theme park then I have written this online free guide with more pictures, tips and even video of Expedition Everest!